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Question about side effects of SSRI´s

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Question about side effects of SSRI´s

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 43

Hi Queens,

I'm in the same boat. I have been on Celexa on and off (through 2 pregnancies -off) for the last decade. I too go through times where I decrease my dose, until just before christmas I was still only taking 10 mg every other day! I was so excited that I had gone so long so well! But then, I started a new job in Nov and about 2 weeks in I started having anxiety and I started noticing they were getting a bit more constant. So, I upped my dose to 10mg every day for a week, then the anxiety got even worse! Then I went to 20 mg, was better for a few days and then they went through the roof! Along with all the side effects - excessive yawning (a real good one to have in a new job), dry mouth, etc etc. It was terrible!!

My doctor added clonazepam to help with the bigger attacks. was good for a few days and today I'm having a bad day again. So now I've found this website, and am definitly doing the program. Anything to bring relief!! I don't want to have to be on the clonazepam - habit forming and side effects after stopping..

I took a half dose this morning.

The problem I'm having is with the CBT you have to expose yourself to your anxieties, and as far as I can tell, this time around my trigger is in the morning. In bed still.. thoughts like "oh no, I have to get up and face the day" or "oh no my kids will need me soon" (they're 1 and 3). So I'm looking forward to working through the program and trying to get over that.

I take comfort in knowing that it took Juanita 6 weeks to start seeing a change. I'm hoping I won't have to up my celexa dose yet again...

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 18

Hi Queens,

I would definitely talk to your doctor. I am on 20 mg of Prozac. I started on 10 mg for one week and now have been on 20 mg for 2.5 weeks. I have similar issues as you do. I still get the anxiety feelings. One of mine is that sometimes I feel like I can't get a full breath of air. I have to remind myself to breathe with my stomach-consciously feel my stomach go-in and out.And it helps. After a visit yesterday with my doctor, she said to see how I feel for one more week on 20mg of Prozac and then I could go up to 30 mg if I feel it is necessary. She also prescribed more atavan if I need it. She was really impressed that my one month prescription of the atavan has lasted so long.

Deanna

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11213

Queens,

Let us know what your doctor says about your side effects.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 538

Hi ~m,

No, not TMI at all..in fact I enjoyed reading your post alot. I esp. loved the descriptive Screaming meemies!

Right now I am here and its very early in the morn...I couldn't sleep, had a couple of bad dreams, and I can hear my pulse in my right ear...so I decided to get up out of bed and come on here.

But...I'm not panicing....I am not even really that upset....I know exactly why I can't sleep...hubby's away...its the start of a 6 month trip...I know it'll take me a week or two to get used of that change..this calm thinking I attribute to my medication, and the fact that I'm allowing myself to have some time adjusting. Let me tell you, before my celexa and this program I would have been a basket case, obsessing over everything.The only thing right now is that I'm hungry..and I'm not going to eat anything ..cause I know its not really hunger. Strange eh?Ok, I'm tired enough to go back to bed for bit.

Enough of my babbling....I hope everyone has a good day

Juanita

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Definitely not TMI. There really is no other way to get rid of the screaming meemies other than to challenge them. Medication only puts them on the shelf for a while.

One thing people need to remember is that the medication works by replacing the missing chemicals or by encouraging our bodies to produce them. If you need them then you need them and even if you get off them there may be a time in the future you need them again. We all would like to be med free, but for some of us that may not be possible. Does it matter? Is the object here not to lower anxiety and be Panic attack free? There are side effects to every thing so if they are tolerable then why not go for the comfort they give after all it's not heroin or some dangerous street drug we are talking about.

Here for you,

Davit.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 376

Hi Queens... I've been on meds for so long, I've forgotten what side effects I used to have. I feel no bad effects from taking them now. After many years of trial and error, my pdoc and I finally found a combination that seems to work well . I take 300 mg Wellbutrin (for depression), 40 mg Prozac (for anxiety), and 50 mg Seroquel (to help sleep at night).

The most important thing I can share with you about taking psychotropics is that once you find something that works... stick with it until advised by your doctor to do otherwise. It is really worth the initial period of adjustment. I finally accepted that, for me... it's best to stay on them. For the longest time I would get to feeling good and go off of everything and by the time the effects wore off, I would be wondering why I felt so bad again. I would forget that I it was because I decided (on my own) to quit taking them. I'm not ashamed of taking meds anymore. (Although I do vividly remember the initial fear and loathing of being on any type of mood medications). I am grateful they have kept me pretty steady for nearly a decade.

I have been able to cut back on the amount of Seroquel I take at night to sleep. I used to have screaming-meemie nightmares. Really bad ones night after night after night. Since I've started this CBT work... I have started having dreams where I use the 10 Questions to fight negative thoughts and end up controlling my dreams and not waking in terror. This is a cool side effect of doing this work :) I also use the relaxation techniques and box breathing to get myself to sleep in the first place. I've cut the Seroquel in half and am hopeful for further reduction.

I hope this helps a little. Probably TMI...and not what you wanted to know but, having been there/done that with regard to psychotropic medications it sure seems to me that you are on the right track... asking a lot of good questions, seeking information, and working closely with your doctor to find what works best for you. I'm all for taking advantage of every possible tool on this journey toward health.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 538

Hi Queens,

I started on Celexa in April. The first time ever for taking any medication. The first week or so was horrible...My anxiety went through the roof...I couldnt even stand in my kitchen and cook..I had tingles, the scariest vivid dreams, morning panic episodes, and fell asleep during the day twice... and to tell you the truth I was near to quitting it. But....gradually I saw a huge difference....It was in about 6 weeks...I, and my hubby, noticed how calm I was. My obsessive negative thoughts changed, I became more positive, and peaceful. Now my dreams are alot more relaxed, but if I do have a scarey one its easy for me to get over it. So thats my experience so far. Oh...unfortunatly my appetite has gone from good to being hungry all the time....So good luck with it and do talk with your doctor about everything you are feeling. Hows this program going for you? Are you able to work through the chapters? I have the Challenging questions etched in my mind.just in case...but now if I think a negative thought...I just have to shake my head and it goes.

Juanita

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 44

Hello Everyone,

I was hoping someone would be able to post their experiences with SSRI's. To give you my background, I am on 10mg of Prozac for about six weeks now. Generally, I feel much better and I feel less anxious. I do however get woken up from restless and anxiety with sweats in the middle of the night at times and sometimes I feel that during the day as well. The feeling is milder in comparison to what I was feeling a couple of weeks ago, however it is still there and is uncomfortable. I going to talk to my doctor about this again, and I am wondering if anyone has had similar experiences. I was under the impression that most side effects subside over time. Can anyone else post what their experience has been?

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Question about side effects of SSRI´s